As the Jewish people prepare to enter Eretz Yisrael, the Torah gives one central condition for their success: the complete eradication of idolatry. Hashem makes it clear that the Land is not just a place to live, but a vessel for holiness. To dwell there means to serve Hashem through Torah and mitzvot, and this cannot coexist with avodah zarah.
In Devarim 12:1–3, Moshe outlines five specific commands regarding the idols of the nations:
- Altars of many stones – “Venitzatztam et mizbechotam” – dismantle the altars built from multiple stones. Rashi explains that since they are constructed piece by piece, they must be smashed apart stone by stone until nothing remains.
- Single-stone altars – “Veshibartem et matzevotam” – destroy the solid stone monuments carved for idol worship.
- Idolatrous trees – “Va’asheihem tisrefun ba’esh” – burn the sacred trees planted for idol worship. These trees were worshiped as a deity itself.
- Images and statues – “Ufesilei eloheihem tegade’un” – chop down the carved idols, cutting off their legs to symbolize and nullify their supposed power.
- Names of idols – “Ve’ivedetem et shemam” – erase their very names, even mocking them to show their emptiness. For example, Rashi cites how “the all-seeing god” (עין כל) was derisively renamed “the thorn-eyed (עין קוץ).”
These five steps go beyond physical destruction. They represent a spiritual cleansing of the Land, teaching that holiness can only flourish when falsehood and idolatry is uprooted at its source. Only then can Eretz Yisrael become the place where Am Yisrael connects to Hashem fully and without obstruction.
The Root of Idolatry: A Lack of Joy
The Torah’s command to destroy idolatry highlights a deep spiritual truth: you cannot build holiness on top of corruption. The evil must first be removed before the good can flourish. As long as the “smartphone of idolatry” is still in hand, so to speak, the heart and mind remain too distracted to hear words of truth.
Reb Noson, in Likutey Halakhot, Nefilat Apayim #4 (based on Likutey Moharan Lesson 24), explains that the real source of idolatry and false ideologies lies in a lack of genuine joy. When a person is not happy, they search for empty pleasures to fill the void. These pursuits always lead to disappointment, frustration, and ultimately spiritual dead-ends. Idolatry, both ancient and modern, offers people a way to justify clinging to their desires while avoiding true connection to Hashem.
But Rebbe Nachman reveals five powerful tools to break free from sadness and restore simcha:
- Acting silly or telling jokes – even a forced joy can open the door to authentic happiness.
- Dancing, music, and clapping – engaging the body and senses in joy awakens the heart.
- Finding the good points – refusing to define life only by its failures, but actively noticing the points of good.
- Giving thanks to Hashem – appreciating everything as a gift and miracle, even the smallest, cultivates gratitude.
- Connecting to the joy of the future – remembering that in the final redemption, all will be revealed as good, and that light can already shine into the present.
Reb Noson emphasizes that these five paths to simcha are not side practices but the very antidote to idolatry. When a Jew experiences genuine joy in serving Hashem, there is no need to seek fulfillment in foreign ideologies. “Pekudei Hashem yesharim, mesamchey lev” — the mitzvot of Hashem are upright, bringing true joy to the heart.
Thus, the five forms of idol destruction listed in Parshat Re’eh are not arbitrary. Each one reflects a type of misplaced desire and despair, and their eradication is matched by the Jewish mission: to embody true simcha, a joy rooted in mitzvot and connection to Hashem.
When the five forms of idolatry are destroyed, their negative roots are replaced by five channels of holy joy
The Five Idol Worships and Their Rectifications
Returning to the verses in Parshat Re’eh, the Torah lists five specific forms of idol worship that must be destroyed. Each one corresponds directly to a lack of joy, and each has its rectification in the five paths of simcha revealed by Rebbe Nachman.
- Altars of many stones – These symbolize a life filled with endless complaints. Just as the altar is built from many small pieces, so too a person builds resentment from “many stones” of frustration until he turns against Hashem. The rectification is gratitude: learning to see the countless kindnesses of Hashem and to live with an attitude of thanksgiving. Modeh Ani each morning, and the daily opportunities to thank Hashem, dismantle the idolatrous altar of negativity.
- Matzevah, the one solid stone – This represents the inability to find even a single good point. Rebbe Nachman teaches that if a person cannot recognize even a “drop” of good (me’at), he cannot experience true joy. The very word bimos (בימוס – the Greek name for such an altar) equals 119 (with the word itself), the same gematria as me’at (מעט). The idol is the denial of the small good; its rectification is precisely the Jewish gift of finding one point of goodness and then another, until life is filled with points of joy.
- Asherah trees – Lush, impressive, and attractive, these represent being swayed by false appearances, a superficial “heat” for something empty. The rectification is the holy fire of movement: dancing, clapping, and stirring the body into joy until true warmth for serving Hashem is awakened. Burning the Asherah symbolizes transforming false passion into holy energy.
- Carved idols to be cut down – Statues that seem to stand firmly, giving an illusion of permanence. But their “legs” can be chopped off, revealing their emptiness. True eternity belongs only to the simcha of the future redemption, when Hashem’s unity will be revealed. Even in suffering, a Jew can rejoice knowing that “in the end, all will be good.” This faith uproots the false eternity of idols.
- The names of idols – Their supposed grandeur is shattered by mockery. Making fun of these names is not childish—it is a holy tactic. Rebbe Nachman teaches that many times we must resort to silliness, joking, and lightness to lift ourselves out of despair. By turning empty names into laughter, we rob idolatry of its power and redirect that energy toward true joy in serving Hashem.
All of this is tied to the Makom—the Holy Land itself. Eretz Yisrael is called Makom because it is the dwelling place of Hashem’s Presence. Just as Hashem is the space (Makom) of the universe, so too the Land is uniquely designated for His service. Idolatry cannot coexist with this holiness; it must be uprooted entirely.
When the five forms of idolatry are destroyed, their negative roots are replaced by five channels of holy joy: thanksgiving, finding good points, dancing and movement, trusting and rejoicing in the future redemption, and even playful laughter and silliness. These are not only defensive strategies against idolatry, but the very essence of what it means to serve Hashem in His Land—with simcha.
May we merit to internalize these five pathways, uproot the idols of sadness and despair, and reveal the joy of serving Hashem in truth.
Shabbat Shalom uMevorach.
Meir Elkabas
